Machine for harvesting beans and peas



MACHINE FOR HARVESTING BEANS AND PEAS Jan. w33. A. GROENIG r-:T AL 1,894,740

MACHINE FOR HARVESTING BEANS AND PES Filed IFeb. ll, 1931 S'SheetS-Sheeb 2 Jan. 17, 1933. A. GROENIG ET AL 1,894,740

MACHINE FOR HARVESTING BEANS AND PEAS Filed Feb. l1, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 desir/f W WMD/WflC /71/61/57' G/Mw/G.

Patented Jan. 17, 1933 UNITED STATES.

`PATENT OFFICE IAUHDS'E FOR HBVESTING BEANS AND PEAS Application mea February 11, 19a1. serial No. 515,040.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved machine for harvesting `beans and peas, two rows at a time; and, to this end the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and pointed out in the claim.

The invention, in its preferred form, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, with the harvesting devices proper shown supported by and operatedl from an ordinary gasoline tractor.

In said drawings, like notations refer to like parts throughout the several views; and therein'z-f chine;

Fig. 2 is a pla-n view ofthe parts shown in F ig. 3 is a sectional elevation on ,the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, with some of the parts removed, 'but showing the rotary cutting disks,

someof their driving connections and some of the housings for said driving connections, and which housings form part of the drag for the cutters Fig. 4 is a lsectional elevation on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, with some of the parts removed, but showing an adjusting device for the lower end of the elevator;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1, with some parts removed, but

showing the windlass or main adjusting dev vice for the cutters and the elevator, for

setting the same in\working position and lifting the same clear of the ground;

Fi 6 isa detailfinvertical section showing t e relations of one of the rotary cutting disks to its driving shaft and the l'wer end bearings for the same;

Fig. 7 is a detail in horizontal section on the line 7--7 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a detail in elevation showing one of the parts of Fig. 7 detached; and

Fig. 9 is a vertical section through the universal joint which connects the forward end of the cutter drag to the front cross beam of the harvester frame. l

The tractor which carries the harvester frame and supplies power to the movable parts ofthe harvesting devices may be of any Fig. 1 is a right side elevation of the' ma-V suitable form; but, as roughly outlined in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the tractor there intended to be represented is of the Fordson type. For present purposes, it is sufficient to note the body portion A, the power delivery pulley B, the steering wheel C, and the drivers seat D.

The numeral 10 represents thetransverse front beam of the harvester frame shown as a steelor iron .l1-beam rigidly supported from 60 the bodyportion A of the tractor by strong brackets 11, as shown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings. This transverse front beam 10 is located a short distance above the axle of the front wheels of the tractor and extends 65 a considerable distance to the right of the tractor, as clearly shown in Figi), of thedrawings. This transverse front beam 10 has, near its left end, a bearing standard 12 for a purpose which will later appear. The m numeral 13 represents the main longitudinal beam, or what might be called the backbone of the harvester frame, and which is shown as an iron or steel I-beam which is bent upon itself, at about one-third of its length, so that its front and rear portions incline toward each other at' an obtuse angle and that the said bend will form a sort of a hump ystanding at a level considerably above the ends of the beam. The `front end of said so beam 13 is rigidly secured to the transverse front beam 10 of the harvester frame and its rear end is provided with an eye portion 13a which engages the outerhub of the right hand member of thefrear wheels of the tractor, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The numeral 14 represents a top cross beam, shown as an I-bar of iron or steel, which has its inner end rigidly secured to the dash castthe tractor and rojecting outward to the right side thereo i, The power delivery pulley B receives rotar motion from the engine of the tractor; an this pulley B is connected by a belt j with la pulley 16 on the right end of a tr-ansverse shaft 17 journaled in bearing 'brackets 18 fixed to and projectin from the forward endof the tractor body as best shown in Fig. 2. Said shaft 17 is provided at its left en with a beveled gear 19 which engages with a beveled gear 20 on the inner end of a short shaft 21 which has its inner end journaled in the left hand member of said bearing brackets 18, and has its body portion journaled in the u per end of the `bearing standard 12 rising rom the front cross beam 10 of the harvester frame. This shaft 21 has, on its outer end a sprocket 22 which is connected by a chain 23 with a sprocket 24 fixed to the forward end of a short shaft 25journaled in a bearing bracket 26 fixed to the transverse front beam 10 of the harvester frame. The shaft section 25 has its inner end connected to another shaft section 27 by a knuckle joint 28 located in housing sections 29 and 30, of proper form when connected together, to afford the socket member of a ball and socket joint. The shaft section 27 is provided with a housing 32 which, at its forward end, is of the proper form to afford the ball portion 32a of a ball and socket joint, as shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings. The section 29 of the socket is bolted, or otherwise rigidly secured to a bracket 26 rising from the front cross beam 10 of the harvester frame, and the other section 30 of the saidhousing is bolted to the section 29'after the ball-shaped head 32a of the housing 32 has been placed in the section 29. This assumes that the section 30 has been strung on the housing 32 in advance of the assembling of the said 'oint sections.. Of course,

' the section 30 mig t be made up of two subsections of equal arcuate length and then be bolted to ether, as well -as to the section 29. The art o the knuckle joint 28 carried by the s aft section 25 is rigidl secured thereto; but the art of the said nuckle 'oint 28 carried by t e shaft section 27 is spiined to said shaft section 27 as shown at 36, so as to permit the needed limited slippage of those two arts in respect to each other under the angu ar motion of the housing section 32 and the arts connected therewith.

T e housing section 32 extends to a junction with the central member 33 of a gear casing integrally connected with the cross hous-` ing 34 having at its outer ends additional glear y casings 35, as best shown in Fi 3. he shaft 27, at its inner end, is provi ed with a beveled gear 37 which en a es with the beveled` ear 38 on a cross s a t 39 suitably journal in the gear casin s 33, 34 and 35 and which shaft 39 is provided, on its opposhafts 42 have their upper ends journalel in housin sections 43 formed integral with and depen in Afrom the end gear casings 35. Ad-

ditional ousing sections 44 are secured t0 and depend from the said housing sections 43, and the lower ends of said housing sections 44 are bridged or closed with the exception of axially located passages for the respective shafts 42 as shown in Fig. 6. rl`he lower ends of the shafts 42 are pinned, or otherwise rigidly secured -to the hubs of foot plates 45 to the undersides of which are riveted, or otherwise secured, the rotary cutting disks 46. The numeral 47 re resents an openended sleeve, the lower en of whichireceives the hub of one of said foot plates 45, and the upper end portion of which receives the low- 'er end portion of the housing 44 and is removably secured thereto by set screws 48, or other suitable means. Ball bearings 49 are placed between the hubs of said foot plates 45, and the lower ends ofthe said housings 44, as clearly shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. The sleeve 47 is provided with a pair of packing gaskets 47 a and 476, the upper of which packs the joint between the sleeve and the .housing 44 and the lower of which packs the joint be-k tween the lower end of said sleeve and the foot plate 45. In assembling the parts of this joint, the sleeve 47 is slipped upward on the housing section 44 until the shaft 42 is placed in working position with its lower end pinned to the hub of the foot plate 45, and

then the sleeve 47 is dropped down into its proper working position, and the set screws 48 screwed inward far enoughA to clamp the sleeve 47) fast to the housing 44. This form of said joint, shown in Fi 6 of the drawin s, was selected simply or convenience o illustration. In commercial -practice, the joint would be of such form that the ball bearings could act in a bath of oil without permitting the oil to waste out at the lower end of the joint and there would be no projections to engage with the plants. If this particular form should be used in practice, the exterior of the sleeve 47 would be provided with counter-sinks for the heads of the set screws 48, and the screws would be of such length that when screwed' home their heads would be embedded in said countersinks; and small ducts would be-provided in the bridges at the lower ends of the housings 44 so that said housings could be loaded with oil through suitable supply inlets and that the oil would then run down onto the ball bearing surfaces.

The rotary cutting disks 46 are so set that, when in working position, theirouter edges are about one inch higher than their inner edges and that their rear edges are about one inch higher than their front edges, for the purpose of giving to said disks the necessary suction to hold the same in the ground under the forward travel of the machine. disks 46 are preferably made about eighteen inches in diameter. The said required inclinations of said disks 46 are secured, in the illustrated machine, by having the housing sections 44 and the cutter driving shaft sections 42 so disposed that their lower ends are farther apart than their upper ends, as clearly shown in Figf 3 ofthe drawings, and so t at their upper ends incline forward, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6 of the drawin s. It has been found in practice that the riving beveled gears 40 and 41 for the said shafts 42 gears, it is obvious that the said rotary cutting disks 46 must turn toward each other. Rows of beans or peas, or similar plants are usually spaced from twenty two to twenty six inches apart: The said rotary cutting' disks 46 of this machine are laterally spaced apart twenty s1x inches from center to'center,

which brings the same into such positions that they will operate on rows of plants spaced from twenty-twoV to twenty-six inches apart. Each disk operates on one row of plants, severlng the stems from the roots, about one inch below vthe top of the ground, and, as the disks turn toward each other, -they throw the plants r` inward and rearward to about the center line of the space between the two disks.

Diagonally disposed braces 5() have their upper forward ends secured to lugs 51, near the'forward ends of the housing 32, and have theirbody portions adjustably secured to the housmgs 44, for the upright shafts 42, as shown in Figs. 1v and 2 of the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, the said body portions of said braces 50 are provided with several bolt holes 52, through selected ones of which headed tap bolts 53 are passed and made to engage with screw-threaded seats (not shown) in the housings 44. The presence of the closely spaced several holes 52 enable the tap screws 53 to be applied to the proper selected holes to hold the .housings 4 4 in their proper angular adjustment to give the required dip to the forward edges of the cutting disks. The body portions of said braces 50 extend rearward a considerabledistance beyond the said holes 52, through which they are attached by tap bolts53 to the housings 44, thus The saidKH affording portions 50a, for a purpose which will presently be noted.

The housing portions of the universal joint shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings, taken ltogether with the housings 32, 33, 34, 35 and 44, make up the drag for the rotary cutting-disks 46, and, of course, also serve to support and house the driving connections therein con- -Y made up of a suitable frame 54 having Suit able guide rollers 55 located at its, opposite ends. On these rollers 55 is mounted to travel an endless canvas conveyor 56 having toothed slats 57, the teeth of which are so bent that their upper projecting ends are v.

hook-shape as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The upper member of said pair of .rollers 55 is provided with a pulley 58 `at its right hand projecting end; and this pulley 58 is connected by crossed belt 59 to a pulley 60 fixed to the right hand end of the cross shaft 29 mounted in the gear casings l33, 34 and 35 of the drag, as hitherto. noted, and as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. Said driving connections will make the said canvas conveyor '56 .and its toothed slats to travel in the proper direction for -the purpose in# tended.

Said elevator frame 54 has its upper end portionanchored by a rod and turn buckle connection 61 to the right hand end of the top cross beam 14 of the harvester frame, as shown in Flgs. 1 and 2; and, it is obvious, that thereby the rear end of the elevator is adjustably and pivotally supported lfrom said cross beam 14 of the harvester frame.

The numeral 62 represents the hand wheel and worm shaft of a windlass having its said shaft journaledin a bearing bracket 63 secured to said top cross beam 14 of the frame near its inner end, as shown in Figs'l, 2 and 5. Said windlass worm shaft engages with the worm gear 64 fixed to the inner end of the main shaft 65 of the windlass, which is mounted in a pair of spaced bearing brackets 66 fixed to the rear profile face of said top cross beam 14, as shown in F ig. 5. To said ywindlass shaft 65 are fixed the upper ends of a pair of chains 67 which have their lower ends pivotally attached to the upper ends of short vertical arms 68 fixed to and rising from the rear ends of the backwardly extended portions 50'L of the drag braces 50, as shown in Figs. l and 5. These arms 68 are connected by headed and nutted bolts 69 to slotted guide brackets 70 fixed to the side slotted brackets 7() and the elevator frame- 54 for a purpose which will later appear.

lt has-hitherto been noted that the rearward extensions 50l of the drag braces 50 are connected to the housings 44 of the rotary cutter shafts 42 by the headed ta bolts 53. It must therefore be obvious that y the manipulation of the hand wheel and worm 62 of the windlass, the driver of the machine may raise or lower simultaneously the rotary cuttin disks 46 together with the whole rear end o the drag bar and the lower end of the elevator frame 54, and the vertical adjustment thus available is suiiicient to enable the driver to lower the rotary cutting disks and the lower end of the elevator into their proper working positions or to lift the said parts high enough, not only to clear the ground, but any obstructions that might be in the path of the machine, and there hold the said parts while the machine is moved to any different position desired, such for example as when the machine is traveling on the road. In other words, the windlass normally su ports ,the rear end of the cutter drag and the lower end of the elevator.

It is'desirable, however, to have also an available means for lifting the said rotary cutting disks and the lower end of the elevator far enough above their working positions to clear small obstructions in their paths, such as small stones for example; and, to this end a foot actionv adjusting device is provided. A shaft 71 is journaled in 'bearinor brackets 72 fixed to the front profile face or the top cross beam 14 of the harvester frame, as shown in Fig. 4, and this shaft 71 has at its inner end a short crank inner arm 73 which carries at its outer end a hanger clip 74 adjustably secured thereon. The clip 74 takes hold of the upper'ends of a pair of chains 75, the lower ends of which are secured each to one of a pair of angle iron brackets 76 secured respectively to the opposite ends of a cross bar 77, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. Said cross bar 77 has its end portions turned downward and inward, nearly at right angles to its body portion, thus making said cross bar of U-shape, and the down turned ends of this cross bar 77 are rigidly secured to the rearward extensions 50 of the drag brace bars 50. Atitsinner end, said shaft 71 is provided with a downwardly extended treadle crank 78 located within the reach of the drivers foot when sitting on the seat D of the tractor. The said treadlecrank 78 is pivotall connected to the lower member 79 of a pair of short rods 7 9 and 81 which are connected together by a coiled spring 80.

The upper rod 81 isanchoredto a bracket'.y

82 fixed' to the right hand upper end of the tractor body A as shown in Flgs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The said spring 80 is a compression spring ltending to pull the rods 79 and 81 toward each other, and, as the upper rod 81 is' anchored to the body of the tractor land the lower rod to the treadle crank 78,

the said parts and the parts connected to the crank shaft 71 tend to eounterpoise the weight from the' free end of the drag and the lower end of the elevator; and, hence, whenever the driver sees that an interfering obstruction appears in the path of either of the cutting disks and the lower end of the elevator, he operates the treadle crank 78 and lifts the said parts, with an instantaneous action, far enough to clear the said obstructions. Thewindlass chains 67 slacken, when this foot lift occurs.

It is also desirable to have some means for givin to the lower end of the elevator frame 54 a llmitedvvertical adjustment without lifting or lowering the rotary cutting disks or the free end of the cutter drag. Such means is illustrated in Figs. l, 2 and 4 of the drawings. In said Fig. 4, the numerals 83 represent a pair of angle iron brackets rigidlv secured to the downturned ends or vertical portions of the cross bars 77 hitherto noted, the outer ends of which brackets 83 are spaced apart from the horizontal portions of the angle iron brackets 76 hitherto noted as being secured to the cross bar 77. Between said brackets 76 and 83 are located the hubs of a pair of sprockets 84 connected by a chain 85. ,The hubs of said sprockets 84 are screw threaded on their interiors and engage the screw threaded portions of links 86, the lower ends of which links are pivotally secured to the side bars on the elevator frame 54 a short distance above the lower end of said elevator, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Said links 86 are also pivotally connected to the rear ends of brace bars 87, theiforwa'rd ends of which are upturned and are pivotally secured to the drag brace barsy 50, at points forward of the housings 44 of the cutter driving shafts 42, as shown in Fig. 1. One of said two sprockets 84 has on. its hub a sleeve-like up= ward extension 84, the upper end of which is connected by a knuckle joint 88 with the lower end of a hand crank shaft 89, the upper lportion of which is journaled in a bearing 9() xed to the face ofthe top cross beam 14 of the frame, as best shown in Fig. 4. The handle portion of this crank shaft 89 is located within the reach of the drivers hand when heis sitting on the seat D of the tractor; and, by turning said crank shaft 89, he can rotate the said nut action sprockets 84 so that they will turn in the proper direction on the screw threaded portions of the links 86 between the fixed brackets 76 and 83 to raise or lower said links and carry therewith the lower end A.of the elevator far enough to secure the proper 1,894,740 y y p .setting of that part of the elevator to thel cutting disks 46 for the best cooperation of the said parts. This adjustment available from the manipulation. of said hand crank 89 is limited by the length of the vertical slots 70 in the guide brackets 7 0 secured to the side bars of the elevator fra-me, as hitherto noted, but it is suicient for the purpose intended. The slippage available from the relations ofV the parts of the joint by which the arms 68 are connected to the side bars of the elevator frame 54 'enables said limited adjustment of the lower end of the elevator to be made by the manipulation of said hand crank shaft 89 and the connect-ions therefrom without lifting or in any ways disturbing the rotary cutters 46. g'

The braces 87, applied as 'hitherto described, serve to keep the lower end of the elevator from swinging forward against the cutter drag.

Special attention is called to the fact that,

the drivin connections from the delivery pulle B o? the tractor to the upright shafts 42 w ich carry the rotary cuttmg disks 46, at their lower ends, are of such a character that the said cutting disks 46 will be rotated toward each other ata peripheral speed .considerably greater than the speed of the forward travel of the machine. Said cutting disks 46vmust be so driven, at said faster speed than the travel of the machine, in order to get the'proper action fromsaid disks on i I the plants. Of course, it will be understood that the peri heral edges of said cutting disks 46 must e kept reasonably sharp. All the parts of the harvesting mechanism and of the frame by which said harvesting mechanism is supported fromthe tractor, have 40 now been specified and it is thought that the operations of the diierent parts of the mechanism must be clear from said detailed specification. f

lHowever, the general action of the machine ma be briefly summarized as follows he engine of the tractor being in action,

the tractor and harvester are then'made to so travel that the rotary cutting disks 46 will operate respectively one on each of two 50 adjacent rows of the plants to be harvested. Assuming that the said cutting disks have been properlyrset, they will sever the stems of theplants from the roots thereof, at about one inch below the top of thegroundr'and as said disks rotate toward each other they will throw the severed plants inward and backward approximately to the crosscenter line of the space between the two disks, and, thereby deliver the plants onto the lower ofend of the elevator. The elevator will then receive the said severed plants and the endless conveyor thereof ,will carry the plants upward and deliver the same over the upper end of the elevator either onto the ground or into any suitable receptacle carried with or asmuch as the cutting disks rotate at fairly hitched to the machine. Of course, a cart or s wagon might be hitchedk to the harvesting machine, as a trailer with the body thereof in position to receive the lants from the. elevator, or a threshing cy inder might be .70 carried by the same tractor in position to receive the plants and thresh out the seeds, or the receptacle used might be provided with an automatic dumping device for collecting the plants into bunches and then dropping the bunches onto the ground.

By the actual usage of a roug built experimental machine, the practica ilit and efficiency of the harvestin mechanism erein disclosed has been actually demonstrated in working tests of that experimental machine.

The general advantages of this improved y harvesting machine should be obvious. In-

high speeds, turn toward each other and have the angular disposition in respect to each other and the )horizontal plane hereinbefore.

`pointed out, it follows that the stems of the plants will be severed from their roots by said cutters with a shearing action; and, it further follows that the severedlplants will be thrown inward and backward on approximately the cross center line of the space between the disks and onto the lower end of the elevator so quickly that there is no chance for the successive stems to accumulate and clog either the disks or the elevator. For similar reasons, the said cutting disks do not crush the ods or vines of the plants; and, hence the beans, peas or other seed beari plants may be first permitted to get fully ripe before harvesting the same. For the same reasons above noted, the severed plants are not covered either with loose dirt, stones or other trash.

This machine can be used to harvest all kinds of seed bearing plantsthat are grown in suitably s aced rows; -and', of course, the spacing of t e rotarycutting disks may be varied ondilerent sizes of the machine.

It will, of course, be understood that many of the details of this harvestin machine may `be varied without departing fgrom the spirit of the invention herein disclosed and claimed.

What is claimed is A machine for harvesting beans-and peas, comprising the combination with a supportving frame movable over the ground, of a pair of spaced rotary cutting disks carried by said framein position to sever the plants from their rootsmeans for rotating said.

disks toward each other, an elevator having its lower` end in position to receive the severed plants from said rotary cutting disks, and mea/ns for adjusting the lower end of said elevator relative to said disks.

In testimony whereof we alix oursignaturesf AUGUST GROENIG.

JOSEPH W. `WOODRUFF. 13o 

